There are many factors that contribute to success, but so much of success is about attitude and effort. Coach Larry Hays, former Texas Tech University head baseball coach and the fourth winningest college baseball coach of all times, highlighted these two important factors for his team with the following formula: ATTITUDE + EFFORT + EVERYDAY = SUCCESS. This became his team’s daily mantra, regardless of the level of talent, injuries or other obstacles.
What is true in sports is generally true in everyday life. Where are we able to exert the most control in our life? It’s certainly not with talent or the “lucky breaks” we get. But, we can choose…everyday what kind of attitude and effort we have.
We often hear how sports can teach us about how to live our lives. Let’s use another example to teach us about these principles. When flying an airplane, there are many factors to consider…but the main ones are related to five basic principles and their relationships with each other: weight, lift, drag and thrust. The fifth is related to attitude (straight and level, climbing and landing). How does the flying analogy relate to the formula of Coach Hays, you ask?
The Nutritional Cleansing New Zealand, suggest to think of drag and weight as the resisting or negative factors that we all have to manage in sports or everyday life (injuries, negative thinking, external elements, pressure, stressors and other obstacles that tend to defeat us). Now, think of thrust and lift as the opposing forces that tend to move us in a positive direction and to victory. Lastly, let’s consider how attitude is related to these other forces. Attitude is basically the level of the nose of the plane or the level of our thinking (up, straight and level or down).
At the personal and human level, we must generate enough thrust (effort) with the right amount of up attitude or angle of attack, and have the right amount and balance of weight (that’s the baggage we carry) while at the same time minimize the things in our life that produce drag (negative or resisting influences) and we tend to climb and reach success. These are the rules or principles of success that we find all around us. The more we practice imputing the right controls the better we get at smooth and uneventful flight (success) and the more automatic it becomes.
Let’s all awaken every day and choose to adjust our attitude, throttle-up the effort, unload excessive weight and have a successful day. We change the world by changing our world and teaching our children how to do the same. Until next time…Claim your power and expand your dreams! ~Dr. B